Blocking device for railroad wheels



1966 LA MAR c. SKELTON 3,230,893

BLOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD WHEELS Filed Nov. 12, 1963 UVVE/VTOR. LA MAR 6 SKELTON W/ jQzZzZM a Q" N LA Attorney United States Fatent O H 3,230,898 BLOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILRGADWHEEILS La Mar C. Sk'elton, Provo, Utah,assign'or to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey FiltlNov. 12, 1963, Ser"; No. 322,958 Claims. (61.104-259) This invention relates to a-device for blocking the wheels of railroad carsand other vehicles adapted for travel on rails; The device disclosed herein provides for accurate yet adjustable positioning of the wheel as is necessary for spotting cars at loading and unloading stations. An example of such anapplication is the blocking of ladle cars in a steel mill While they are receiving hot meal from the blast furnace.

One object of this invention is to provide a safe blocking means for rail-car wheels that is adjustable along the length to the track on which the wheels run.

Another object of the" invention is to provide a blocking means forrail-car wheels that may be moved along a track for adjustment purposes, but becomes locked in a fixed position whenever it is set in its wheel blocking position.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a blocking means for rail-car wheels that can beset in its wheelblocking position without requiring a trainma'n to reach under the rail-car or in line with its direction of travel.

The attainment of these and other objects by this invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevation of my wheel-blocking device with associated rails in section;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of my wheel-blocking device;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 with a part in an alternative position.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a car wheel W is adapted to travel on one of a pair of rails T and is blocked by a bar 2 of my Wheel-blocking device B. Bar 2 is mounted on a yoke 3, and is rotatable about a vertical post 4 that fits slidably through a hole in the top thereof.

Welded to the top of yoke 3 are two parallel flat bars 5 normal to rail T. Between these bars 5 is formed a groove 6 (FIGURE 2) which accommodates the bar 2 when it is in its wheel-blocking position. The sides of groove 6 are formed by inclined camming surfaces 7, which may be produced by properly shaping the welding material 8 on the sides of bars 5.

Post 4 has a square flange at its bottom. Compressed between flange 15 and the under side of the top of yoke 3 is a spring 16. Protruding through the top of post 4 is a pin 18 engaging bar 2. Due to the spring loading of post 4 and pin 18, bar 2 is held firmly within groove 6 when alined therewith.

A handle 20 is provided at the end of bar 2 opposite the end of the bar that extends across rail T. Handle 20 is pivotally attached to bar 2 by a hinge pin 21 so that it will hang down at the side of yoke 3 when not in use. Lugs 22 on the side of yoke 3 restrain handle 20 from lateral motion and confine bar 2 until the handle is swung upwardly.

Bar 2 may be rotated out of its wheel-blocking position in groove 6 by lifting handle 29 to its position 20a, shown in chain lines in FIGURE 1, and turning the bar on post 4 to its position 2a, shown in chain lines in FIG- URE 3. As it is rotated out of groove 6, blocking bar 2 rides up inclined camming surfaces 7 and onto the top of plates 5, as shown in FIGURE 4. With this move- "ice ment, post 4 is raised the same distance by virtue-of its pin 18- riding on-top-of bar 2. The=upward movement of post 4' in turn causes flange 15' on the bottom ofthe post to rise against the pressure of spring 16.

Yoke 3 is slidably supported on an axuiliary rail 25, parallel'to rail T, by an upper bearing member 26 and confined thereon by a lower bearing member 27 (FIG- URE 1). Rail 25 should be parallel to main rail T and may be secured to the same ties as rail T.

Upper bearing member 26 is a cylindrical roller, rotatably mounted in holes 30 in the sidesof yoke 3, with pins 29 through its endsto restrain it from axial motion. Holes 3tl-are slightly larger in diameter than-bearing member 26, not only to permit the latter to rotate, but also to permit a slight vertical play-in the connection between it and yoke 3. Bearing member 26 rides along the top of head 33 of rail 25, and is free to roll thereon when flange 15 of post 4 is in its'raised position (FIG- URE 4). Flange 15 has a groove 34 alined with bearing member 26. The semicylindrical concave surface of the groove matches the curvative of the bearing member 26. When flange 15'is in, its bottom position (FIGURE 1), the groove 34 of flange 15 presses on bearing member 26 and prevents it from rotating.

Lower bearing members 27 are wheels that ride along the underside surfaces of head 33 of rail 25. These wheels rotate on axles 35, which are secured to yoke 3 by means of welded plates 36 and 37.

As shown in FIGURE 4, when bar 2 is rotated out of its wheel-blocking position in groove 6, and: post 4 and flange 15 are thus raised, upper bearing member 26 is free to rotate and the blocking device B may be moved along rail 25 to adjust its position lengthwise of rail T. When the device B is at the desired position, bar 2 may be rotated into its wheel-blocking position in groove 6 (FIGURES 1 and 3) by means of handle 20. Compression spring 16 acting on flange 15 of post 4 will force bar 2 against the base of groove 6 by virtue of pin 18 in post 4 which bears down on the top of bar 2. Flange 15 will be moved downward the same distance as bar 2, and this will cause groove 34 in flange 15 to press down on bearing member 26. Because of the slight vertical movement of bearing member 26 relative to yoke 3 permitted by holes 30, the pressure of flange 15 on member 26 will be transmitted to the rail head 33. The head will then be squeezed between the upper and lower bearing members 26 and 27, and the blocking device B will be locked to the rail 25.

Thus, the blocking device B may be moved to any point along rail T within the length of rail 25. When the de sired blocking position is reached, the device may be easily locked and set for blocking a rail car wheel by a trainman located in a safe position at the side of the rail car. The device B is then ready to provide a safe and accurately positioned blocking means for any type of rail car wheel.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, other embodiments and modifications may of course be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a main rail and an auxiliary rail mounted adjacent and parallel thereto, of a device for blocking a wheel running on said main rail comprising, a yoke supported on the head of said auxiliary rail, said yoke having a groove in its top surface, a post fitting slidably through the top of said yoke, spring means between said yoke and post forcing said post downwardly from the top of said yoke, and a wheel-blocking bar rotatably mounted on said post above said yoke and extending horizontally across said main rail when alined with said groove, means on said post engaging said bar and pressing said bar to the top of said yoke, a bearing member mounted on said yoke beneath the underside surface of said auxiliary rail head, and means on said post cooperating with said bearing member to lock said device to the auxiliary rail when said bar is alined with said groove.

2. The combination of claim 1 characterized by a bandle pivotally attached to one end of said wheel-blocking bar, and said yoke having means confining said handle against lateral movement when said bar is in its wheelblocking position and said handle is dependent.

3. In combination with a main rail and an auxiliary rail mounted adjacent to and parallel to said main rail, a device for blocking a railroad wheel running on said main rail comprising, a yoke supported on the head of said auxiliary rail, said yoke having a groove in its top surface, upper and lower bearing members provided on said yoke and contacting the top and underside surfaces of said rail head respectively, the upper of said bearing members being mounted with vertical play in its connection with said yoke, a post fitting slidably through the top of said yoke, spring means between said yoke and post forcing said post downwardly from the top of said yoke, a wheel-blocking bar rotatably mounted on said post above yoke and extending horizontally across said railroad track when alined with said groove in the top of said yoke, means on said post engaging said bar and pressing said bar to the top of said yoke, means on said post pressing down against said upper bearing member and squeezing the head of said auxiliary rail between said bearing members when said wheel-blocking bar is alined with said groove.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said upper bearing member is a horizontal cylindrical roller rotatably I f 4 mounted between the sides'of said yoke, and said post has a groove in its underside surface, said groove being alined with said roller and being of a semicylindrical concave shape that substantially matches the curvature of said cylindrical roller.

5. In combination with a main rail and an auxiliary rail mounted adjacent to and parallel to said main rail, a device for blocking a railroad wheel running on said main rail comprising, a yoke supported on the head of said auxiliary rail, said yoke having a groove in its top surface with inclined camrning surfaces forming the sides thereof, upper and lower bearing members provided on said yoke and contacting the top and underside surfaces of said rail head respectively, the upper of said bearing members being mounted with vertical play in its connection with said yoke, a post fitting slidably through the top of said yoke, spring means between said yoke and post forcing said post downwardly from the top of said yoke, a wheel-blocking bar rotatably mounted on said post above said yoke and extending horizontally across said railroad track when alined with said groove in the top of said yoke, means on said post engaging said wheel-blocking bar and pressing said bar to the top of said yoke, and means on said post pressing down against said upper hearing member and squeezing the head of said auxiliary rail between said bearing members when said bar is alined with said groove, said inclined camming surfaces of the groove raising said bar and said post upwardly a distance sufiicient to remove the pressure of the latter means against said upper bearing member when said bar is ro tated out of alinement with said groove.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MAIN RAIL AND AN AUXILIARY RAIL MOUNTED ADJACENT AND PARALLEL THERETO, OF A DEVICE FOR BLOCKING A WHEEL RUNNING ON SAID MAIN RAIL COMPRISING, A YOKE SUPPORTED ON THE HEAD OF SAID AUXILIARY RAIL, SAID YOKE HAVING A GROOVE IN ITS TOP SURFACE, A POST FITTING SLIDABLY THROUGH THE TOP OF SAID YOKE, SPRING MEANS BETWEEN SAID YOKE AND POST FORCING SAID POST DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF SAID YOKE, AND A WHEEL-BLOCKING BAR ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID POST ABOVE SAID YOKE AND EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS SAID MAIN RAIL WHEN ALINED WITH SAID GROOVE, MEANS ON SAID POST ENGAGING SAID BAR AND PRESSING SAID BAR TO THE TOP SAID YOKE, A BEARING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID YOKE BENEATH THE UNDERSIDE SURFACE OF SAID AUXILIARY RAIL HEAD, AND MEANS ON SAID POSTCOOPERATING WITH SAID BEARING MEMBER TO LOCK SAID DEVICE TO THE AUXILIARY RAIL WHEN SAID BAR IS ALINED WITH SAID GROOVE. 